Such devices for fabric manufacture are known as conventional looms. Such a loom comprises a plurality of heddle shafts driven in opposite directions, wherein a plurality of heddles are arranged beside one another ON the heddle shafts, with the warp threads running off the warp beam being guided through the heddles. The shafts run in opposite directions to one another so that a shed is raised by the heddles with the warp threads guided therein on such an oppositely directed movement of the shafts. A weft thread is guided through this raised shed, for example by means of rapiers or also by means of air. Such machines are then called either rapier machines or airjet machines. After the introduction of each pick, the weft thread is battened-to to the fabric by the reed arranged in the loom.
Such a known loom requires a substantial drive force which is substantially due to the up and down movement of the heddle shafts with the heddles arranged thereon. Drive powers of 70 kW and more are sometimes required. It is furthermore disadvantageous that only a customary fabric (linen weave) can be manufactured using such conventional weaving looms.
A loom is known from DE 100 03 919 A1 in which the weft thread is bound in the fabric by a half-cross leno weave. For this purpose, the loom has a plurality of leno weave apparatus which are arranged next to one another, but which are driven centrally by one drive.
GB 2124664 A shows a similar loom. A plurality of disks are provided there which are arranged next to one another, mesh with one another and are driven centrally by a drive disk. The disks each have two openings for the leno threads which are disposed diagonally opposite one another.
DE 100 34 355 A1 describes leno selvage formation apparatus arranged in pairs within the fabric on a loom so that each fabric has a leno selvage after cutting the fabric between the selvage formation apparatus.